With more people enjoying outdoor activities in the summer months, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reminds all residents to leave young wildlife alone.
Game Commission officials recognize that while many people will want to help an animal when it appears to be abandoned, they emphasize that leaving them alone is the best option as their mothers could be watching from somewhere else.
Wildlife Management Director Matthew Schnupp says that most people may not realize how close mothers are to their young and, while he knows people mean no ill-intent when trying to help, it’s just “one reason why leaving young wildlife undisturbed in the wild typically is the best solution…”
Contact with young animals can be harmful both to them and to humans, as different diseases and parasites can be transmitted. Schnupp also cited the time when a yearling six-point buck severely injured two people after they illegally took the deer home and tried to raise it.
Residents are reminded that it is illegal to take or possess wildlife as, under state law, penalties can cost up to $1,500 per animal.
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